sean67's review
4.0
Second entry in this series set in the old west and with a young detective is even better than the first, with a top notch story and great characters, with the best character far and away being the charming and elusive PK Pinkerton. A good read.
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
I don't think it's quite as strong as the first book, but it could be that it's just not as novel. Nor quite as funny. But it's still incredibly entertaining and I still find P.K. to be such an interesting character. And, for *so* many reasons, I think it's pretty ballsy (sorry, crude, but it's the best word I can think of) for Lawrence to be writing a series like this for kids - and for Penguin for publishing it. (What am I referring to? It's spoilery - which maybe I don't care that much about - and I need to go to bed soon, but buy me a drink at ALA and we'll talk; I think this would be a crazy fun book to talk about. Also, I could be entirely wrong about a few things and this way I don't lose face publicly.)
Also, I love me some soon-to-be-Mark-Twain. And I still miss Deadwood.
Also, I love me some soon-to-be-Mark-Twain. And I still miss Deadwood.
singerji's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
adabel's review
3.0
3.5
The plot is very interesting though in the beginning that does not show. Many of the ands are &. Also clues is spelt ‘clews’ (Which is kind of unusual) it isn’t very well written but the storyline is very exciting. It probably takes about a quarter or a third of the way through to get interesting, though the actual best bits are 3/4 of the way through. The ending is an ‘oh my gosh! How did I not think of that?!’
The plot is very interesting though in the beginning that does not show. Many of the ands are &. Also clues is spelt ‘clews’ (Which is kind of unusual) it isn’t very well written but the storyline is very exciting. It probably takes about a quarter or a third of the way through to get interesting, though the actual best bits are 3/4 of the way through. The ending is an ‘oh my gosh! How did I not think of that?!’
bethkemp's review
5.0
Great story, told in an amazing voice. Strongly recommended for 10+
This book does a fabulous job of bringing the Wild West to modern kids without shying away from unpleasant details, at the same time not overloading them. Having P. K. narrate means that we get a child's eye view which is at once naive and realistic. There are shootings, men of extremely dubious morals and prostitutes in this story, set against a background of Civil War, slavery and crime. And yet, this is a children's book which I would happily read to/with my 8 yr old in a year or so. There is nothing grisly or gratuitious, P. K.'s matter-of-fact narration avoids any glorification or romanticisation of the less savoury aspects, and it's all done subtly enough for the younger readers to remain blissfully unaware of some of the detail.
P.K.'s voice is so compelling. I really haven't read another book like it. It's been compared to Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" because both narrators seem to be on the autism spectrum (P.K. refers to having a "thorn" which makes interpreting non-verbal cues difficult, and also means being touched is unwelcome), but there are key differences. I would say that Haddon's book is more 'about' Christopher being autistic, whereas here it is just one aspect of P. K.'s character. Caroline Lawrence also uses P. K.'s naivety as a narrator to more humorous effect - this naivety coming as much from age as it does from the 'thorn'.
The plot works well as a mystery, with a satisfying conclusion which is set up effectively through the story. As with all good mysteries, there are subplots and side tracks to confound the reader as well as the detective. Historical accuracy is important to the author (she also wrote the Roman Mysteries, for which the Classical Association have honoured her with a prize), so you can be sure that kids will learn something of the US from the nineteenth century simply by immersing themselves in P.K.'s world for a while. I particularly enjoyed the insertion of Sam Clemens at the earliest stage of his journalistic career (later to write as Mark Twain).
Overall, there is much to commend in this book that makes it worthwhile for child readers. But they will want to read it - and should read it - because it truly is a cracking read that they can happily get lost in.
This book does a fabulous job of bringing the Wild West to modern kids without shying away from unpleasant details, at the same time not overloading them. Having P. K. narrate means that we get a child's eye view which is at once naive and realistic. There are shootings, men of extremely dubious morals and prostitutes in this story, set against a background of Civil War, slavery and crime. And yet, this is a children's book which I would happily read to/with my 8 yr old in a year or so. There is nothing grisly or gratuitious, P. K.'s matter-of-fact narration avoids any glorification or romanticisation of the less savoury aspects, and it's all done subtly enough for the younger readers to remain blissfully unaware of some of the detail.
P.K.'s voice is so compelling. I really haven't read another book like it. It's been compared to Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" because both narrators seem to be on the autism spectrum (P.K. refers to having a "thorn" which makes interpreting non-verbal cues difficult, and also means being touched is unwelcome), but there are key differences. I would say that Haddon's book is more 'about' Christopher being autistic, whereas here it is just one aspect of P. K.'s character. Caroline Lawrence also uses P. K.'s naivety as a narrator to more humorous effect - this naivety coming as much from age as it does from the 'thorn'.
The plot works well as a mystery, with a satisfying conclusion which is set up effectively through the story. As with all good mysteries, there are subplots and side tracks to confound the reader as well as the detective. Historical accuracy is important to the author (she also wrote the Roman Mysteries, for which the Classical Association have honoured her with a prize), so you can be sure that kids will learn something of the US from the nineteenth century simply by immersing themselves in P.K.'s world for a while. I particularly enjoyed the insertion of Sam Clemens at the earliest stage of his journalistic career (later to write as Mark Twain).
Overall, there is much to commend in this book that makes it worthwhile for child readers. But they will want to read it - and should read it - because it truly is a cracking read that they can happily get lost in.
nigellicus's review
5.0
Though Thieves Of Ostia was an assured and confident debut, this, the second in the PK Pinkerton series of western mysteries, is the delightful, well-crafted work of an experienced author. After all, I guessed the culprit early on in Thieves, but The Petrified Man kept me guessing till the final showdown.
Hired by by a terrified serving girl to find the man who murdered her mistress, a Soiled Dove ifyouknowwhatImeanandIthinkyoudo, the redoubtable, indefatigable but far from invulnerable PK cuts a swathe of chaos through Virginia City, 1862, with bullets and brawls and general upset following the investigation through saloons and cribs and newspaper offices and theaters and auctions houses. PK has a list of suspects and nothing, not desperadoes with guns or burning stables or lynch mobs or even jail is going to get in the way.
Funny, sharp, poignant, devilshly clever but also a wonderful and lively evocation of the Gold Rush town in all its glory, with an endearing and pragmatic protagonist whose oddly heartbreaking aim is to solve the enduring mystery of why people do the things they do.
Hired by by a terrified serving girl to find the man who murdered her mistress, a Soiled Dove ifyouknowwhatImeanandIthinkyoudo, the redoubtable, indefatigable but far from invulnerable PK cuts a swathe of chaos through Virginia City, 1862, with bullets and brawls and general upset following the investigation through saloons and cribs and newspaper offices and theaters and auctions houses. PK has a list of suspects and nothing, not desperadoes with guns or burning stables or lynch mobs or even jail is going to get in the way.
Funny, sharp, poignant, devilshly clever but also a wonderful and lively evocation of the Gold Rush town in all its glory, with an endearing and pragmatic protagonist whose oddly heartbreaking aim is to solve the enduring mystery of why people do the things they do.
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